


One Day At A Time

by RookieSand



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:22:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22832491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RookieSand/pseuds/RookieSand
Summary: Lysithea isn't one to fall in love. Or to really make close friends. Seems silly when your life isn't worth much. But sometimes a girl just has to drag you under...
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Lysithea von Ordelia
Comments: 8
Kudos: 70





	1. Chapter 1

Lysithea woke with a start, jolting at the sound of her alarm going off. She stared at the ceiling as her body settled again. Her arms and legs felt heavy and were buzzing with TV static. Everything hurt and she knew it was going to be a moment before she was really able to move. She sighed heavily. She just wanted to turn her alarm off.

The shower was cold against her warm skin. She'd elected to take a shower after waking up in a pool of her own sweat. Her body was beginning to function properly again, slowly but surely waking itself up. The tingly pain in her arms and legs still lingered but hopefully it would die down a bit more before she really had to get moving. She leaned her head against the shower wall, letting the coolness of it refresh her. A small headache was beginning to prick at the back of her eyes.

Breakfast was short. She shoved a handful of m&m's she had in a bowl sitting on her kitchen counter into her mouth then drank from the gallon of iced tea she had in her fridge. That would just have to do for now and it wasn't like she had many other options. Her shower had gone longer than she had expected--her body had only woken up in the back half--and it was already past the time she should have left.

She hastily pulled on her coat and headed out the door. A chill wind greeted her as soon as she exited making her body tense up in a painful way. She shivered and grumbled about how winter was never going to be her favorite season.

The door two down from hers creaked open. Hilda, a friend of Lysithea's only by proximity, came sauntering out of her apartment. She was dressed elegantly in a long, faux-fur coat and large sunglasses. Underneath, Lysithea caught glimpses of Hilda's more scanty outfit. It took a moment for her to spot Lysithea, but when she did, she practically jumping on the other girl. Lysithea winced a bit but, ultimately, let it slide.

"Good morning, Lythie," Hilda cooed as she straightened up Lysithea's coat, hat, and scarf. "You look... cold." Lysithea knew Hilda well enough to know she meant that she looked terrible but wouldn't say as much to Lysithea's face.

"Good morning, Hilda," Lysithea said curtly as she tried to push Hilda off of her. Hilda was always treating her like a daughter or protégé of some sort. She acted like she'd taken Lysithea under her wing and was some sort of martyr for doing so. In reality, she just lived nearby and the two interacted often. She was annoying mostly, but Lysithea had to admit it felt nice to know that someone cared about her enough to fix her coat. "Want to walk together?"

Hilda nodded and flashed Lysithea with a warm smile. She hooked her arm around Lysithea's bicep and cuddled into the other girl. "I love that we work so close together," she practically purred. Again, Lysithea knew Hilda well enough to know that what Hilda meant was she was glad that they worked so close together so that on the way to work Lysithea would treat her to coffee.

Lysithea wasn't exactly sure why she treated Hilda to coffee--which only on rare occasions did Hilda pick up the tab. It wasn't like she owed Hilda or anything. Maybe she was repaying the kindness that was Hilda paying attention to her. Hilda had been the first person to acknowledge her existence when she'd moved in after all. And really a second coffee in the morning wasn't killing her bank account or anything. It wasn't like she was all that concerned about saving money. At this point, it was just their morning routine though Lysithea couldn't remember how or why it had started.

As the two began to walk, Hilda pulled away to take out her phone. She typed a rather long message out on it and then smiled.

"Who are you texting?" Lysithea asked more to find something to talk about rather than curiosity. The silence between them was killing her as it only made her focus on her ever-growing headache. Besides, she knew Hilda well enough to know that Hilda would love to overshare about who she was texting.

"Marianne," Hilda said simply. "She wasn't awake when I left and I forgot to tell her something."

Marianne was Hilda's girlfriend. Lysithea thought they were cute together when she did get to see them both at the same time, which was rare. Individually, Lysithea couldn't fathom how they got along as they weren't similar in any way. Somehow when they were together, they seemed to mesh immeasurably well. Hilda absolutely adored Marianne despite Marianne being a very awkward and odd girl. Though, Lysithea had to admit even she thought there was someone for everyone. Well, someone for everyone except her; for other people it was true. And maybe the sex was better than she could ever imagine.

"Strange she wasn't awake," Lysithea responded. From what she knew, Marianne was usually the one rolling Hilda out of bed.

"She was up late last night," Hilda said. She let that hang in the air for a moment before adding, "Not like _that_ , Lythie." She playfully poked Lysithea's arm and Lysithea tried not to groan outwardly. "Apparently, the book she was reading was really good and she lost track of time." Hilda shrugged. "I know that feeling, though it's not usually with books."

Lysithea nodded. Hilda was an avid gamer. She would stay up all night every night playing MMOs if she could. Lysithea didn't see the appeal of games like that. She preferred slower, single-player experiences. She also preferred not playing any games with Hilda. She'd already made that mistake.

"Well, I'm glad you let her sleep in."

Hilda chuckled. "Hey, I'm nice to her every once in a while." She winked and Lysithea couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Did Claude tell you that they're turning the heat off for the rest of the evening so they can fix something?" Hilda asked changing the conversation herself. "I was reminding Marianne to pick me up after work so she can take us to her parents' house."

Lysithea groaned. Claude had mentioned that to her in passing and she had completely forgotten to make arrangements for somewhere to spend the night. "I forgot."

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" Hilda sounded concerned and gently grabbed Lysithea's hand. "Claude said they'd made arrangements with a local hotel to put people up for the evening if they wanted."

"I'll figure it out," Lysithea said offhandedly. She gave Hilda her best fake smile. "Don't worry about it."

"If you say so..." Hilda didn't sound very convinced but she pulled away from Lysithea. "I'll buy coffee today."

They entered the shop that was on the corner just across from the library where Lysithea worked. It was a quaint little store, nothing exciting or remarkable about it. Inside was quiet and warm, which Lysithea appreciated after walking outside for so long. A hard shiver ran through her as her body tried to shake off the cold.

Hilda had already made it to the counter and was ordering for both of them. Lysithea took the moment of peace to slip into a chair next to one of the windows. She watched Hilda order the drinks. Lysithea wished she could have the boundless amounts of energy and personality that Hilda had. Only Hilda could walk up to a complete stranger and charm them into doing something she wanted all the while making them think it was their idea. It was fascinating seeing her out in the wild.

Once Hilda finished ordering, Lysithea leaned back in her chair with a heavy sigh. She pulled out her phone and began looking for a place to spend the night. It was going to be expensive to book something last minute and she really didn't want to spend her money on a hotel room. Her other option would be to stay home which wouldn't be impossible, just uncomfortable. She wasn't sure she had enough blankets to stay warm. Maybe she could go somewhere a little farther away and make a stay out of it if she was going to spend the money anyway. She did have the next day off.

Hilda set Lysithea's coffee down in front of her breaking her out of her thoughts. She also set down two chocolate chip cookies. Lysithea looked up at her with a questioning gaze. Hilda met it with a smile. "My treat. Anyway, I'm off. Let me know if you need anything or need a place to stay." She patted Lysithea on the head before taking off.

Lysithea sighed again. She'd lost count of how many sighs that was already this morning. It would be rude to ask to stay with Hilda, that much she had gathered. Maybe Claude could help her out, but he would probably be busy fixing whatever it was they were fixing. She could buy a heater which would be considerably cheaper than a hotel, but that would only do so much to fight the cold. She bit into one of the cookies. It was still soft and warm inside.

She looked up as the door opened and a red-headed girl entered. She knew this girl well as they had attended the same high school back in the day. They had been rivals as far as academics went, fighting over the top spot in their grade. Their rivalry had faded once they went off to college but Lysithea looked back on it fondly.

The girl's name was Annette. Lysithea would never admit to it out loud but she found Annette very attractive. Maybe it was her adorable, round face or her grayish-blue eyes. Or maybe it was her hard work ethic. Or her ability to either be the nicest person you'd ever met or the meanest. Or maybe it was all of the above. Lysithea had adored her from a distance for as long as she had known her, though she didn't quite think of Annette as anything more than a friend. She really didn't have time for wondering about that.

Working at this coffee shop was Annette's main job while she did some freelance work on the side, though she had never quite specified what she freelanced in. Lysithea had never thought to ask exactly what she did, figuring that wasn't much of her business. She also couldn't bring herself to ask what Annette was up to in her free time. It was probably something smarter and more important than whatever Lysithea was doing and she didn't care much to hear that.

Annette walked over to Lysithea and dropped into the seat across from her. "Hey," she said brightly. Lysithea couldn't imagine how Annette was wide awake and perky at this hour. "Cookies today?"

"Yeah," Lysithea said awkwardly as she fiddled with her cup. "Hilda bought them."

Annette nodded knowingly. "That was kind of her. How are you today? You seem down."

Lysithea was a little taken aback. Did she really look so off that Annette could tell by a glance? She let out a huff before saying, "They're turning off the heat in my apartment tonight and I need a place to stay."

"You can spend the night at my place."

Lysithea looked up from her cup to meet Annette's eyes. They were steady with no hint of irony in them. She hadn't even hesitated in offering up her home. Lysithea could feel her face heating up. "Um, that's okay. I can make other plans."

"I insist," Annette said a bit more forcefully. "It's no problem if you want to stay over."

"I couldn't impose... I'm sure you have other things going on, and don't you have a roommate?"

"It'll be fine." Annette waved her hand dismissively. "I won't take no for an answer. And just for you, I'll cook dinner."

Lysithea made a face. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"I make one bad meal and you never let me live it down!" Annette said as her jaw dropped. "I'm a much better cook than I was in high school, okay? Please let it go, Lysithea, I'm begging you."

Lysithea couldn't help but laugh. She rested her arms on the table and let out another long sigh. "Fine, I guess. It's not like I have a lot of options."

Annette smiled again. "Alright. I'll pick you up when you're done with your shift!"

Work was a drag. Lysithea spent most of the morning reshelving books. Her mind wandered away to spending the night with Annette. Or... at Annette's house at the very least. It wasn't like she was spending the night with Annette.

She wondered what Annette had in mind for dinner. Did she even know any of Lysithea's dietary restrictions? It wasn't like they were that close after all. They had reconnected once they found out they worked so close together, but they hadn't actually spent any decent amount of time together except for chatting casually in the coffee shop. Hopefully there wasn't any ulterior motive to inviting her over. Lysithea couldn't really think of anything. It wasnt like she had money and her body barely functioned half the time. She also hoped that Annette hadn't been lying when she said that she was a better cook now. That meal in high school had nearly killed Lysithea.

The latter half of the day was spent working the front counter, which was Lysithea's least favorite part. She sat on her chair and swiveled around to try and keep herself awake as her eyes grew heavier and heavier.

There was absolutely no one in the library. Not that that was surprising by any means. It was just a Tuesday in the early afternoon. The hours dragged by and Lysithea was beginning to start to feel the weight of it. Her body was not going to be very happy with her.

Finally, she was able to leave not a moment too soon. After gathering her things, she was greeted by Annette waiting by the front doors and chatting with the woman who had relieved Lysithea.

"And there she is now," Annette said as she caught sight of Lysithea. "It was a pleasure chatting."

The woman nodded at Annette and said goodbye after them as they exited the building.

Lysithea was in Annette's apartment. They had been mostly quiet on the drive over but Lysithea was fine with that. She was exhausted ans had started nodding off in the car. Annette had seemed to sense this and kept the noise level as low as possible while they drove. Now that they were in her apartment, she was back to her normal bubbly self. Lysithea, on the other hand, felt like she was walking on the bottom of the ocean with heavy boots.

The apartment was a decent size. Two bedrooms and a main living space attached to the kitchen. She shared it with another girl, Mercedes, who Annette said was her best friend in the entire world, though Lysithea had never heard of her by name. Annette talked excitedly about the place while Lysithea followed her with dragging feet. It was hard to map out the place when her brain was barely functioning.

Dinner was already cooking when they arrived. Whatever it was smelled incredible and Lysithea felt her stomach tighten. Mercedes seemed unsurprised to see Lysithea and had already set out three plates on the table. Annette must've said she was coming over, but Lysithea figured that's what a good roommate would do. Lysithea was only able to introduce herself awkwardly and thanked Mercedes for making dinner before Annette shoved her into the living room.

The room spun slowly, feeling fuzzy at the edge of Lysithea's vision. Annette was saying so many things that Lysithea could hardly keep up with her. She flopped onto the couch and then pulled Lysithea down beside her.

The couch was incredibly soft. It felt like a giant teddy bear and Lysithea sunk right into it. Her eyes closed involuntarily and her body began to relax. The weight of the day had finally caught up with her. Even though she knew Annette was talking to her, she couldn't hear any of the words she was saying anymore. She knew she heard her name being called but her body had already given up on being awake. She couldn't hold herself up anymore. She just wanted to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The room where Lysithea woke up was cold forcing her to pull the blanket tighter around herself. She groaned as her muscles tensed up not wanting to move after resting for so long. Everything hurt, but it's what she was expecting after how she felt the night before. Slowly, her eyes opened and she realized she was in a bed she didn't know. If she could've, she would've shot up out of shock. Instead, she took a moment to take in the scenery and collect her thoughts.

There were prints of anime characters and posters of singers covering one of the walls from side to side. The bed took up most of the space in the room and right beside it was a nightstand with several volumes of a manga Lysithea had never heard of, a couple of more academic looking books, empty water bottles, and headphones. A dresser was pressed against the far wall, but most of the clothes that Lysithea guessed should have gone in it were either in a basket on the floor or in a hamper on the other side of the nightstand. The last thing notable was the bookshelf crammed with anything from manga to self-help books. Lysithea guessed that this was Annette's room. Lysithea felt a little awkward looking around the room without Annette there. It felt too personal for their relationship.

The smell of pancakes was overtaking the room. Lysithea's stomach growled and tightened painfully. She remembered that she'd fallen asleep before eating dinner and sighed. She must've really been exhausted to not have woken up to get food. Normally, she would wake up in the middle of the night with a bit more energy and be able to eat something. She wasn't even sure what time it was, but from the light coming through the window, she could tell it was morning already.

She forced herself up out of bed and stretched as best she could without causing herself too much pain. Her body actually felt better after stretching for once, the bed having been very comfortable for her. She was still dressed in her outfit from the night before but a pair of clothes had been laid out for her at the foot of the bed. They must've been Mercedes' clothes because they were too big for Lysithea and she couldn't imagine they would fit Annette any better. Still, Lysithea put them on gratefully as her slept-in outfit was making her feel gross.

She shuffled her way down the hall vaguely recalling what Annette had shown her the night before. It wasn't like the apartment was large enough to get lost in but she wasn't exactly sure which direction led to the main living room. After a wrong turn, she made it to the living room and saw Annette sleeping soundly on the couch. In the kitchen, Mercedes was making pancakes on a griddle. Lysithea's mouth watered.

"Good morning," Mercedes said, barely glancing up from her cooking. "Hungry?"

Lysithea nodded and tiptoed across the living room into the kitchen. She snuck a peek at Annette's sleeping form. She looked peaceful enough and had a bit of drool dripping from the corner of her mouth. She was dead asleep despite Mercedes making no effort to be quiet. Once in the kitchen, Lysithea nearly snatched a pancake off of the hot griddle and did everything in her power not to.

Mercedes must've noticed the ravenous look in her eyes. "They're almost done," she said kindly. "Just a minute longer."

Lysithea took a seat at the small island to help her resist the temptation of snatching any food. She rested her head in her hand as she watched Mercedes work. "Sorry for, you know, passing out before we ate last night," she said awkwardly. She hated apologizing for falling asleep. It made her feel stupid that she couldn't just stay awake like a normal person. "I'm sure you made extra just for me."

Mercedes shook her head. "That's alright. You must've been exhausted. We couldn't even wake you up so we just carried you to bed."

Lysithea couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She hated being carried to bed and it happened more often than she would've liked. At least up until last night, it had been years since she'd last been carried to bed. Or, well, it had been years since she'd had anyone do it. She couldn't remember the number of times she'd gotten home from somewhere and fell just inside her doorway or was barely able to make it to her couch.

"Annette called your friend Hilda to make sure you were okay," Mercedes continued. "She says you do that often?" From the way Mercedes asked the question, Lysithea could tell that Hilda had overshared and Mercedes was pretending she didn't know to let Lysithea offer up the information herself.

Lysithea's cheeks felt hot. How nice of Hilda to offer up more information than she needed to. A simple, 'She's a heavy sleeper,' would've sufficed but that would've been too easy for Hilda. She was much too nosy to let anything like that slide. Lysithea was glad that Hilda didn't know everything, or she just might've offered up Lysithea's entire medical history.

"Yeah," Lysithea said waving a dismissive hand. "Um, it's nothing to concern yourself with, I promise. More inconvenient than anything else."

Mercedes made a soft humming noise but didn't ask any further questions. Instead, she placed a stack of four pancakes down in front of Lysithea and smiled. "If you're still hungry after that, I'll reheat your leftovers. As delicious as pancakes are, you should eat something more substantial."

Lysithea only barely caught that as she devoured the food before her. She ripped through the pancakes in only a few minutes before pushing her plate away from herself. Mercedes didn't look surprised at all by Lysithea's appetite. She went to the fridge and started to reheat the leftovers without Lysithea asking.

"Can Annette cook?" Lysithea asked now that her head was a bit clearer. She took a sip from the cup of water Mercedes had sat before her. She could feel the coldness of it go all the way down to her stomach.

Mercedes shrugged. "A few things. I mainly do all the cooking though."

"Huh... are you two together?"

"No, we're just friends. I do find Annette rather attractive though."

"Oh, is she not...?" Lysithea felt awkward asking as she felt she should've been asking Annette directly. She also felt she should've already known the answer already considering they were technically friends and they had known each other for so long.

"I cannot confirm nor deny," Mercedes said with another shrug.

_Hmm, so even her best friend doesn't seem to know_ , Lysithea thought. Maybe it wasn't so bad she didn't know.

"I can hear you," came Annette's groggy voice from the couch. Lysithea jumped having completely forgotten she was there.

"Come get breakfast then if you're awake," Mercedes said with a stern tone.

Lysithea watched Annette pull herself off of the couch. Her movements looked as stiff as Lysithea's did in the morning but Lysithea could tell that was because she'd probably slept poorly on the couch. She almost felt bad that she'd taken Annette's bed without even trying to make a case for why she shouldn't. Then again if she had slept on the couch she probably wouldn't have been able to move at all. Annette shuffled her way into the kitchen and gave Lysithea a gentle pat on the shoulder as she slipped into the seat beside her.

"I'm not not interested in women," Annette said as she took a plate gratefully from Mercedes. "I've never really... tried it out I guess. Mercedes and I have kissed before, but she's been a close friend of mine since forever. There's just no spark there."

Mercedes quirked her eyebrows up but said nothing.

"Sorry," Annette said with a small smirk. "But you know I love you so much. What would I do without you?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Probably starve if I had to take a guess. You're right at least." She placed Lysithea's leftovers in front of her, then grabbed her own plate of pancakes and sauntered out of the room.

Annette chuckled softly. She turned to Lysithea, but Lysithea had basically tuned her out as she ate her leftovers. Annette chose to continue anyway. "You want to hang out today?"

Lysithea looked up, spaghetti noodles hanging from her mouth. She slurped them up quickly. "Um, why?"

Annette looked hurt but shook it off quickly. "I don't know. I thought you'd be interested in hanging out. Plus, I let you spend the night so maybe you should spend time with me as a thank you."

Ah, so there was the ulterior motive. Though, Lysithea had to admit it was a fairly tame reason for having her spend the night. If Annette just wanted to hang out more, she could've asked. Not that Lysithea would've said yes to her. Now that she thought about it, Annette had asked her several times to hang out and she always said no. Oops...

"As long as whatever we do isn't too labor-intensive," Lysithea conceded. 

"Yes!" Annette clapped her hands. "I can take you back to your place so you can get cleaned up. Let me get dressed." She hopped off the chair, abandoning her half-eaten breakfast, and headed down the hall.

Lysithea looked to Mercedes for guidance. "Could go either way," was all Mercedes offered. That didn't help soothe Lysithea's worries about what Annette had up her sleeve.

It had finally reached five in the afternoon. Lysithea was in Annette's car once again as they drove to a location that Annette refused to disclose. Maybe Lysithea should've been more concerned about that, but she was already exhausted from all the running around they had been doing and decided to use her valuable car time to rest instead of worry. They had been everywhere it felt like. Lysithea's house, the coffee shop, the grocery store, an old music shop, stopped for lunch at McDonald's, and now they were finally on the way to the final place on Annette's list.

Lysithea's legs felt a little weak and her hips and shoulders were burning in pain. She'd done a lot of walking around with Annette and praised the Lord when she let her sit in the car for a couple of their stops. Her eyes were closed but she wasn't close to drifting off. The pain wasn't unusual but it was keeping her from sleeping as every time they hit a bump in the road she could feel it.

Her phone buzzed and she pulled herself out of her stupor to look at it.

> **Hilda:** Hey where are you???? Haven't seen you all day and Annette called me because you collapsed. All good?

Lysithea grunted softly. She had to commend Hilda for actually checking up on her; but at the same time, it was five in the afternoon. It wasn't like she was being timely about it. Lysithea could hardly be mad at her though. It was truly thoughtful. 

> **Lysithea:** Been running errands w/ Annette all day. Feeling okay. No worries.
> 
> **Hilda:** If you're sure. Don't push yourself. Let me know if you need anything
> 
> **Lysithea:** Will do.

"Who's that?" Annette asked making Lysithea jump. The car had been dead silent until Annette said something.

"Oh, it's just Hilda asking if I was okay."

Lysithea could've imagined it but Annette's shoulders seemed to relax at the explanation. Maybe she had thought Lysithea was texting someone about being bored or saying Annette was irritating. To ease her more Lysithea added, "Hilda is pretty much the only one I text and she usually is asking me a question."

Annette nodded once and her grip on the steering wheel tightened a bit. Lysithea checked the road but it was perfectly clear. No reason for her to be nervous about driving. Lysithea settled back into her seat. Perhaps she had flubbed that conversation worse than she thought.

"You could text me," Annette said suddenly despite the conversation having dropped.

Lysithea looked over at her. "I guess I could text you? I don't want to bother you though."

"You wouldn't be," Annette said softly. "You could just tell me about your day or something."

"But I could just tell you when I see you next. It isn't like I never see you. And my life isn't that interesting."

"I... guess."

Annette didn't say anything else and Lysithea didn't prompt the conversation forward either. They continued to sit in silence. Lysithea leaned her head back and closed her eyes once again.

They made it to their destination not too long afterward. Lysithea was surprised to find out it was a church. It was on the smaller side of churches that Lysithea had ever seen but it was still beautiful on the inside. Annette let Lysithea lean on her as they made their way through the pews and down into the church basement.

The downstairs was a long white room with several rooms off to the side. There were a few people milling about who greeted Annette as she entered. They curiously glanced at Lysithea, the way that Lysithea gripped Annette for support, and then at Lysithea. Lysithea snapped herself away trying not to be dramatic about it. She couldn't help her face heating up.

Annette seemed unperturbed. "This is my friend Lysithea," she said with a smile as she gestured at Lysithea. "We're just hanging out today so I brought her along. She won't cause any problems."

The people went back to setting out chairs and pulling a piano out from the back corner. Lysithea still felt hot. She hadn't expected anyone to be there, though in hindsight she should've thought there would be. Why would Annette bring her alone to a church? It wasn't like Annette was the most religious person to walk the Earth.

"I conduct choir practice a couple of days a week while the normal guy takes care of his kids," Annette explained noticing Lysithea's confused face. 

"I suppose this is your freelance work," Lysithea said. "You never actually told me. You just said freelance."

"Ah..." Annette scuffed her shoe across the floor. "I don't like telling people that I teach others how to sing every once in a while. People think it's a waste of time or my talent. Especially since I don't make a lot of money from it."

Lysithea grunted. "Do you enjoy doing it?"

"Well, yeah. I wouldn't do it if I didn't."

"Then it's not a waste of time. Normally, people telling you that something is a waste of time are just upset they're wasting their own time. Some people just don't understand doing something for yourself and being truly selfish."

Annette looked up at her with her head tilted to the side. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Lysithea waved her hand. "Anyway, Annette, I'm not sure I understand your idea of hanging out. All we've done is run errands all day. Don't normal people go to the movies or something?"

Annette laughed. "Sure, we _could_. But haven't you learned more about me by running errands than you would've had we sat and watched a movie."

Lysithea thought about it. She supposed that she learned the way Annette drove, slow to accelerate but driving well over the speed limit when she got there. Her favorite fruit was the banana which Lysithea couldn't relate to. She realized when they had gone to the coffee shop that Annette was one of the supervisors there. Lysithea now knew Annette's go-to McDonald's order. And to top it off she knew Annette was a choir teacher.

"I guess but we should do something normal. This took a lot out of me." Lysithea sagged her shoulders to be dramatic about it.

Annette raised her eyebrows. "You want to hang out again?"

Lysithea blinked in surprise. She hadn't meant to insinuate they should hang out again though she had to admit she had enjoyed hanging out with Annette. "Um, yeah. If it's not a bother..."

Annette smiled softly. "Nothing about you bothers me," she said sweetly. "I have to go help set up now, okay? You can have a seat anywhere or sit upstairs if you're tired and want a quiet room."

Lysithea nodded and watched Annette join the group that had grown since they had started talking. She clapped her hands and the group began to take their seats. Lysithea sat down on the floor next to the stairs and leaned her head back. Depending on the noise of the choir, she would decide if she would go upstairs or not. She was too exhausted to listen to poor singing. 

"Alright, everyone. Let's start with some vocal warmups," Annette called. "Repeat after me."

Lysithea listened through the warmups and then they began their first song. Her head snapped up when she heard Annette's voice, pure and loud above the others. Lysithea's eyes were glued to her for a long moment as if Annette were a siren calling her own to sea. She sat and listened for as long as she could but the floor was beginning to make her butt and legs buzz with static. Begrudgingly, she headed back upstairs and placed her coat on one of the pews to lie down. She stared up at the vaulted ceiling, Annette's beautiful voice drifting up from the basement. 

Her heart thudded in her chest. She wasn't sure exactly what was making her feel so antsy and anxious. The light was beginning to fade from the church casting long shadows over everything. Maybe she was nervous to be in a dark church. That didn't feel right though. She didn't feel anxious like that. Just nervous about something. She closed her eyes to try and forget about it.

"Lysithea," Annette said gently. 

Lysithea's eyes opened again. She could've sworn she only closed them for a minute but it was completely dark inside the church aside from a small light Annette was holding. Annette was knelt right beside her and she had a gentle smile on her face.

"Ready to go?" Annette asked. "I can take you home."

Lysithea blinked slowly as her body started to wake up again. Lying on the pew had been a terrible idea. "Yeah, you can take me home."

Annette looked a little surprised but Lysithea was still too groggy and in too much pain to think about why. She was gently dragged to her feet by Annette and promptly fell into Annette's waiting arms.

"You alright?" Annette asked. Her voice was calm and soft, her breath just hitting Lysithea's neck. "Do you need me to carry you?"

"I can walk," Lysithea assured her. "I'm just in a little bit of pain." She bit her lip as she trained to gain her balance and ease off of Annette.

Annette guided Lysithea's arm around her shoulders and then wrapped her arm around her waist to hold Lysithea up. "I'm sure it has to do with what Hilda told me."

"What did Hilda tell you?" Lysithea said with a wince.

"Not much. You just get tired easily and you're a little weak sometimes. She didn't go into much detail. Just that you collapsing and passing out was completely normal. And to imagine her surprise seeing you do that for the first time since you had never told her anything about it."

Lysithea rolled her eyes. "Christ."

"We're in a church, Lysithea," Annette jokingly scolded. When Lysithea gave her a tired look, Annette's face softened to something more sympathetic. "Sorry... I know it's not my place to ask but, um, are you alright?"

Lysithea sighed. She had been trying to avoid this conversation as much as she could. "Um, for the most part, yeah."

Annette looked a bit awkward as she asked her next question. "Is this something new? I don't remember you missing school or anything..."

"It's gotten worse over the years. Wasn't bad in high school. Might've had an off day here or there. It'll be more of a problem in the future. I'm just sort of... going through the motions right now."

"Oh... Um... I'm sorry." Annette's grip on Lysithea's waist tightened and she stared at the floor.

"That's fine. You don't have to worry about it."

Annette cleared her throat. "Let's get you home then."

Lysithea only had dozed off in the car and a gentle touch on the shoulder was enough to rouse her. Her body was sore from head to toe and she was supposed to work the next day. She wasn't sure she was going to make it. With help from Annette, the two made it up to Lysithea's apartment.

Annette fished Lysithea's keys out of her bag and held them out to the other girl. "Do you want me to walk you in?" 

Lysithea didn't want to say yes but nodded anyway, not wanting to fall right inside the door and not be able to get up. After the day she'd had, sleeping on the floor wouldn't be the best idea. Besides, Annette had offered. She opened the door and Annette supported her as they hobbled together into the house.

"My bedroom is that door on the left," Lysithea said with a weak gesture.

Annette guided Lysithea to the room and helped her sit on the edge of the bed. Lysithea kept her arms tight around Annette's neck. Her cheeks flushed. They were so close together and in such an intimate position. She was afraid to let go as she wasn't sure if she would be able to sit up on her own. Annette had tilted her head a bit, her lips close but not close enough to touch. 

"Lysithea," she breathed and the same anxious feeling from earlier rushed into Lysithea's heart.

"Y-Yeah?"

"I should get going... it's late and I have work in the morning."

Lysithea's heart sank, though she didn't know why. She'd just spent the whole day with Annette. She shouldn't be wanting more. Slowly and painfully, she removed her arms from around Annette's neck. It took all of her remaining strength to sit up by herself.

"I'll let myself out," Annette said with a nod. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Of course... good night."

"Good night. See you soon."

As soon as the door closed, Lysithea fell back against the bed. Her heart was still pounding. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, Hilda," Lysithea said as she stirred even more creamer and sugar into her coffee, "what do you like about Marianne?" She took a sip of it and deemed it safe for Lysithea consumption. It might as well not even have been coffee anymore.

Hilda rested her head in her hand and looked wistfully at Lysithea. "Oh, where to even start? There are so many things to love about Marianne."

It took all of Lysithea's willpower to not roll her eyes. She knew she'd brought this upon herself but she was hoping Hilda wouldn't be completely insufferable. The question itself was a means to an end and the answer was important. She bit the inside of her cheek as she waited for Hilda to inevitably continue.

"She's incredibly smart for starters," Hilda continued. "Smarter than I could ever hope to be. Her voice is so kind and gentle sometimes it gives me shivers up my back. She's so adorable I could hold her in my arms for hours and hours and never let her go. And, God, the way she kisses me sometimes... It feels like the first time all over again. Makes my heart flutter."

Lysithea sat back in her chair with a sigh as Hilda continued to talk about Marianne. It had been almost a week since to the day that she'd hung out with Annette. Both had been busy and Lysithea had just been feeling like absolute shit all week despite her best efforts. She'd spent a lot of that time sleeping or lying in bed trying to sleep. Even with her body killing her softly, the main thought on her mind had been Annette. She felt horrible for not returning her texts, even though she couldn't, and she hadn't been able to make it over to the coffee shop to see her either. The one time Annette offered to come over Lysithea turned her down; only for the fact that she hadn't showered in a few days and didn't feel up to seeing anyone. She hadn't necessarily been honest about how horrible she'd been feeling and it was starting to weigh on her that she was essentially lying to and blowing off Annette at the same time. She just didn't want Annette to worry about her.

"Why do you ask?" Hilda said. She had been talking the whole time but Lysithea hadn't heard half of it.

Lysithea shrugged. "I'm just curious why you're together. You two are incredibly different and don't seem very compatible."

"Yeah, but our differences aren't bad things," Hilda said matter-of-factly. "For example, I love Marianne's mellow attitude. It means I get to do more of the things I want to do since she likes to go with the flow. We don't butt heads very often on, say, what to eat for dinner."

"That must be nice." It came out disinterested but Lysithea really did think that was nice. "How did you know you first liked her?"

Hilda got that same dreamy-eyed look again as she stared off into space. "Every time I saw her my heart would nearly give out and my hands would get clammy. And whenever we talked I would get all—"

"Oh, God," Lysithea said suddenly as the door to the shop opened. She laid her head down on the table trying to use Hilda's body as a shield.

Hilda turned to see Annette walking into the coffee shop. "Lythie, she works here. I don't know what you were expecting."

"I want to run into her but I don't know what to say to her. We've barely talked all week after I said I would text her more."

Hilda rolled her eyes. She stood up from the table. "I'm going to leave now. I have work. So I'll see you later."

"Wait, Hilda!" Lysithea hissed but it was too late and Hilda was already across the store.

Annette gave Hilda a small wave and smile before looking at Lysithea curiously. Lysithea looked away quickly and took a long drink of her coffee. Quickly, Annette crossed the store to Lysithea's table. She seemed genuinely pleased to see Lysithea, her smile and eyes bright as always. Lysithea's heart rate picked up just on sight of her.

Annette leaned against the back of the chair Hilda had been occupying. At least she wasn't going to sit down. "Hi, Lysithea," she greeted warmly.

"Hey..."

Annette raised an eyebrow. "Is everything alright? You're usually at least a little bit more enthused to see me. Not that I expect much but come on. You're being weird."

"Weird how?" Lysithea took another sip from her drinking hoping to get out of this conversation as soon as possible.

"I don't know." Annette looked away as she grasped for something to say. "Like... you stood me up for a date and we somehow keep running into each other. Something like that."

Lysithea nearly spat out her drink. "Did I do that?"

"I don't remember making any plans with you that you missed. You haven't been responding to my texts but that isn't particularly out of the ordinary either. In fact, everything seems totally normal. Except you. If you need to tell me something or if I'm bothering you, you can just say so, you know. I'm an adult. We don't have to be petty like we were in high school."

Lysithea shook her head. "No, no, no. I just... I'm feeling really..." Her pounding heart was starting to hurt. Why couldn't she stand looking at Annette anymore? Why couldn't she just tell Annette what she wanted to say?

"Is everything okay? Have you been in a lot of pain recently?" Annette's soft and caring voice made Lysithea's heart drop to the floor. She felt horrible. Annette cared about her and she'd been blowing her off. But she didn't want Annette to worry about her. There wasn't anything she could do to help.

"I'm sorry I can't talk right now, Annette. I'm late to work." Lysithea quickly stood up and gathered her things. "I'll—I'll text you later. Promise. Um, see you." She quickly shuffled away without waiting for Annette's answer and nearly slammed into the door as she left. She barely heard Annette call out bye after her.

Lysithea raced across the street and into the library. At least that was a familiar place. She went straight to the back office and sat on the floor, resting her head in her knees. Anxiety ran through her whole body. She still didn't get it. Nothing felt right anymore. 

After work as Lysithea was about to leave, she spotted Marianne checking out books at the front desk. She was wearing her usual modest clothing that completely contrasted Hilda's gaudy and outrageous outfits. Marianne thanked the person behind the counter before slipping the books into her bag. Lysithea pulled up next to her.

"Hi, Marianne," she greeted as warmly as she could.

Marianne startled a bit. "Oh, hello, Lysithea. I always forget you work here." She smiled back. It was something sweet and genuine. Lysithea could tell how Hilda could never get tired of it. But the smile only succeeded in reminding her of Annette's face. She shook her head to clear it.

"Would you like to walk home together?" Lysithea asked. 

"Of course. Though I was going to stop at the convenience store on my way back if that's alright."

"That's fine. I'm in no rush today."

The two walked in relative silence. Lysithea knew Hilda much better than she knew Marianne so she wasn't exactly sure what to talk about. Her base knowledge about most things Marianne related came from Hilda's mouth and Lysithea wasn't sure how much of that information was true to life. Hilda was certainly prone to exaggerating things. It also didn't help that Marianne wasn't a big talker either.

"Marianne, how does Hilda make you feel?" Lysithea asked. She figured that if she'd asked Hilda she might as well get Marianne's side of things.

"What do you mean?"

"Like when you see her how does that feel?"

Marianne looked thoughtful. "Happy," she said simply after a long beat. Clearly, she was going to be a lot harder to get information out of than Hilda was.

"Does seeing her make your heart beat faster?"

"Yes."

"Do you blush a lot?"

"Unfortunately, but Hilda thinks that's charming."

"And you love her?"

"Of course I do."

"What if you didn't want to feel those feelings?"

Marianne nodded slowly and took her time mulling over this answer. "I thought for a long time I didn't want those feelings. I... considered myself wholly unlovable. But Hilda found something to love about me. It's not always easy to accept that she loves things about me that I hate. Then again she is showing me how to love those parts of myself. I could've figured it out on my own eventually but it is nice having her guide the way."

"But what if... you couldn't give her what she wanted? I mean, wouldn't it be better to not feel anything at all than to disappoint her?"

Marianne looked over at Lysithea. "I have a feeling we aren't talking about Hilda and me."

"Well... it's hypothetical."

Marianne nodded. "Hilda loves me more than I could ever ask for. Regardless of what happens, she will always love me. Even if we were to end our relationship, I know there is nothing that would stop us from continuing to care for each other assuming we left on somewhat decent terms. Whatever I can do for her or offer her is more than enough for her. She's told me as much."

Lysithea nodded slowly. She didn't know if that same logic would be applied to any relationship she had with Annette. Lysithea couldn't do anything for Annette. Everything hurt and she got tired so easily. If Annette so much as wanted to go for a simple lunch, Lysithea would have to plan her whole day around how much energy that would cost her. It would probably end up with Annette dragging her home regardless of how much planning was done. And she could offer up her life long friendship but who knew how much of Annette's life that would cover. Probably barely anything if she had to take a guess. What would even be the point? Why get so close to someone who would end up hurting you in the worst way possible? Every moment spent with Annette was borrowed time and it hurt.

"... I don't want to hurt her," Lysithea mumbled.

"I understand...." Marianne's voice was so quiet Lysithea wasn't sure she'd even spoken.

Inside the convenience store, Lysithea made a beeline for the candy aisle. She wanted to treat herself after everything. Maybe a candy bar or three would make her feel better. Well, it wouldn't but she wasn't going to deprive herself of one of the few pleasures in her life. As she entered the aisle, she stopped short. Annette was picking out candy on the other end. Before Lysithea could backtrack, Annette looked up and noticed her.

"Oh, hey," Annette said as she bounded over. "Off work?"

"Yep..." Lysithea said as she started to browse the candy. 

Annette rocked on her heels and looked expectantly at Lysithea, though Lysithea couldn't guess what she wanted. "Do you... want to do something?"

"Like what?"

"We could go see a movie like you wanted to."

Lysithea blinked in surprise. Annette was offering once again to hang out with her. Still, Lysithea wasn't going to be able to make it through a whole movie, she knew that much. "Oh, um, actually..."

Annette waved her hand before Lysithea could get any farther. "I'm sorry. I get it. You're probably tired and busy. Sorry for being pushy." She went to turn back down the aisle and Lysithea's heart sank.

"No!" Lysithea blurted out. She composed herself again. "Um, no. Do you want to watch a movie at my apartment instead? I don't want to go out."

Annette tilted her head a little bit to the side. "Your apartment?"

"Yeah, I mean, why not? I spent time at your place. You could spend some at mine. Even trade."

"Sure. Can I go home and change first?"

"Of course. Come over at seven."

"Sounds like a plan."

Lysithea laid on her couch slowly inhaling and exhaling as she tried to calm herself down. Her heart was racing. Talking to Hilda and Marianne had only confirmed her suspicions of what this new feeling was and had not given her a way to stop it. On top of that, her whole body was singing with pain after the long day. She wanted to be alone and wallow in her misery for a bit but she didn't want to uninvite Annette over. Besides, she'd already texted Annette that the door would be unlocked and to let herself in and lock it so Lysithea wouldn't have to get up to let her in. If Annette didn't come over, Lysithea would have to find the strength to get up and lock her door.

Promptly at seven, there was a soft knock on the door. It opened and shut quietly. There was shuffling as the person who had walked in settled their things and then the door locked. 

"Hello," Annette called into the house. Lysithea could tell she was still struggling to take her shoes off.

Lysithea didn't have the strength to call back so, instead, she just waited until Annette came to her. It didn't take too long for her footsteps to enter the living room.

Annette seemed a little surprised upon finding her awake. "Oh, hello. You didn't answer when I called."

"Sorry. I didn't want to shout." Lysithea hauled herself into a sitting position, wincing as she did so.

"Hey, hey, don't push yourself." Annette was quickly at her side and helped her up. She sat down and let Lysithea lean against her. "So what did you want to watch?"

Lysithea could barely think of anything other than Annette's arm around her shoulders. "I was going to let you pick."

Annette took the remote and only browsed for a few minutes before settling on something. Lysithea was impressed. It would've taken her at least half an hour to find something to watch with no direction as to what it should be.

Annette shifted a bit. "I'm going to adjust us. If anything hurts, just say so."

Annette propped Lysithea up on the couch and then moved to the other end to lean against the arm. She pulled Lysithea back to her and laid her between her legs with her head on her chest. Lysithea's heart could barely handle it as she rested her head on Annette's body. She could feel the rise and fall of each breath Annette took and every part of Annette was incredibly warm. Lysithea let her body relax, the curves of Annette's body giving her muscles slight reprieve in a way she'd never felt before. 

"Comfortable?" Annette asked. 

Lysithea was already starting to doze off. She wasn't going to last five minutes into this movie. "Mhmm," she mumbled.

"Good. You know, I liked you better when you were smaller than me."

Lysithea grunted and shook her head. "Whatever..."

"You're so cute," Annette whispered after a long beat of silence.

Lysithea was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to hear that. It was more of a breath than a spoken phrase. Her heart fluttered and then Annette's hand was gently combing through her hair. Her eyes closed of their own accord. She felt small pressed against Annette and for once her body was screaming with something else other than pain. She heard Annette turn the tv down to just a faint mumble. Sleep overtook her in mere moments.

When Lysithea woke up, the tv was still on playing reruns of a show she only vaguely knew. Annette was asleep under her, one hand tucked underneath her head and the other tangled up in Lysithea's hair. Lysithea shifted slightly and her muscles protested the movement. Well, she supposed she was stuck for a moment. She glanced up at Annette's sleeping face. 

She looked beautiful, Lysithea thought. Not like how she used to think when she saw Annette. She'd always known Annette was attractive. Since she'd first laid on her that much was apparent. But no, the feelings now weren't appreciative. It was something deeper and lower in Lysithea's chest. She wanted to lie there forever.

"Annette," she called softly.

Annette stirred almost instantly, sucking in a sharp breath while her eyes fluttering open. "Wh-What time is it?" she asked groggily. 

Lysithea shook her head. "I can't reach my phone."

"Oh, right." Annette shifted Lysithea off of herself as gently as she could, choosing to fall onto the floor so Lysithea could continue to lie down. She grabbed her phone off the coffee table and checked the time. "Oh, dang. It's almost midnight." 

"Oh... do you need to go home?"

Annette shook her head. "It's fine. I'll just stay the night if that's okay with you."

Lysithea nodded. "You can stay the night. Um, can you help me to bed?" she asked quietly.

"Of course," Annette said swiftly getting up from the floor. She pulled Lysithea up off the couch and helped her to her bedroom.

Lysithea felt her mouth go dry as Annette sat her on the bed just like they had done a week ago. She kept her arms wrapped around Annette's neck not wanting to let her go any time soon. Annette stood still for a long moment and Lysithea couldn't even begin to guess what she was thinking. Lysithea's mind was racing with things that she and Annette could do if Lysithea wasn't herself. Things that certainly weren't wholesome. She took a deep breath through her mouth when Annette finally moved.

"Lysithea, can you let me go?" Annette asked. Her hand moved to Lysithea's side.

"Annette, I..." Lysithea tried to push out the words but they wouldn't come. They were stuck deep in her throat.

"Is everything okay?" Annette asked. She searched Lysithea's face wearing a look of concern. "Are you in pain?"

"No, I'm just..." _Come on, Lysithea. Just say it!_ "I don't know. I'm sorry."

"Can I do anything for you?"

"It's fine. Never mind. I'm sorry." Slowly, Lysithea released her grip on Annette's neck. She wanted to kick herself but she let Annette pull away from her and ease her down against the pillows.

"Okay..." Annette said as she straightened up again. "Um, I'll be in the living room if you need anything. I'm pretty awake so I might stay up for a bit."

Lysithea nodded slightly. "Good night."

"Good night. See you in the morning."

Lysithea woke up early. She felt horrible but in a way that was different from her usual pain. She felt like she hadn't slept at all, her eyes heavy and her limbs barely moveable. Everything just felt a little bit off. Moreso than normal. She forced herself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. 

_Oh... that. Explains so much. Duh._ With Annette clouding most of her thoughts, Lysithea had completely forgotten about her period. Now that she thought about it, that was why she'd been feeling awful all week. It could've also explained why anything surrounding Annette had sent her emotions off the charts. She sighed heavily. At least her body would go back to being somewhat decent after a few days.

Lysithea walked out into the living room. She looked at Annette still sleeping on the couch. Annette was curled up under a blanket in one of the most uncomfortable positions Lysithea had ever seen a human sleep in. A smile pulled at her lips and her heart fluttered a bit. She shook her head.

Maybe everything would go back to normal at the end of the week.

Just like she wanted it to.

She could only hope.


	4. Chapter 4

Wednesday. Annette stayed with Lysithea for a little while after they woke up. She helped Lysithea out of bed and then made them both breakfast with the barren offerings of Lysithea's refrigerator. Lysithea had to explain that she rarely cooked, not because she couldn't but because she was often too tired to do so. After breakfast, Annette cleaned everything up and went to leave. As she crossed the threshold of the door, she turned back and kissed Lysithea on the cheek. Lysithea's heart melted and she swallowed hard. Annette ducked away before Lysithea could even get her words in order.

Thursday. Lysithea stayed home in too much pain to move. Her cramps were intense and her general body pain had spiked exponentially. Even just the thought of getting up nearly brought her to her breaking point. Marianne had been free and she had come over to help take care of Lysithea during the day. Marianne made a great bedside nurse. She was careful and kind. Lysithea could only imagine the type of treatment Hilda got when she was under the weather. Though, then Lysithea's mind wandered to Marianne dressed in a sexy nurse's outfit to "take care of" Hilda which then made her mind wander to Annette doing the same thing. She decided to keep that thought to herself.

Friday. Lysithea felt a bit better. She wasn't feeling one hundred percent, of course, but had decided to visit Annette at the coffee shop. Annette came to sit with her for a moment, giving her a cookie and coffee. Seeing Annette made Lysithea's whole body feel warm and, for a moment, she was able to forget about how awful she felt. Her cheek burned from the memory of Annette's quick peck and she involuntarily couldn't stop touching her face. When Annette got up to go back to work, she came over and kissed the top of Lysithea's head. Lysithea's heart fluttered. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to let Annette in.

Saturday. Lysithea felt worse. Going out the day before had tired her out more than she had bargained for. Still, she forced herself out of bed and went down to the coffee shop to see Annette, hoping that would make her feel better. Surprisingly, it didn't. Annette was a little distressed to see Lysithea looking so under the weather, which Lysithea couldn't exactly blame her for. She took Lysithea home almost immediately and got her back into bed. Annette couldn't stay long but Lysithea thought of her in the sexy nurse's outfit once again. Maybe it was for the best she couldn't stay.

Sunday. Lysithea couldn't get out of bed again and decided to stay home. She called Hilda over to take care of her. Hilda's bedside manner wasn't nearly as good as Marianne's, though Lysithea still wasn't complaining. Hilda did most of the things that Lysithea asked of her. She just wouldn't do them without complaining a little bit here and there. Lysithea could imagine Hilda dressing up as a sexy nurse but purely for show. And her outfit would leave very, very little to the imagination.

Monday. Finally, Lysithea's period was done. She felt practically amazing, no more cramping and bloating. She decided to go into work for the first time that week. It felt nice going out of the house for a little bit and not feel horrible. As far as days went, it was uneventful but pleasant.

Tuesday. Lysithea felt normal again. Her pain was manageable even having gone out the day before. She felt calm and like she was in control of herself again. The thought of Annette still made her heart sing, but she was coming to terms with that emotion. She finally felt that she was in a clear enough headspace to deal with it.

Sitting in her bed that morning she stared at her phone. She'd written a short and sweet message to Annette. 

> **Lysithea:** Hey, Annette! Do you want to come over and hang out? 

Hilda always used a lot of emojis when she texted and Lysithea thought they were cute. She took several deep breaths as she stared at the sent message. This wasn't just a normal hang out with Annette. No, to Lysithea this was a date. She was planning on getting a real kiss from Annette if she could. She was going to give it her best try for sure. She was fairly certain that Annette liked her back. Hilda seemed to think so when Lysithea asked her. She figured it wouldn't be that hard. Well, she hoped. If things couldn't go back to normal, she had to either push them forward or get hurt. Such was the way of being friends with Annette.

As she waited for a response, she ended up dozing off again. Her phone was clutched tightly in her hand and pressed against her chest. She was only woken again when she felt it vibrate against her. She pulled it up to look at it with a low grunt. Annette was calling her. Sleepily, she answered, "Hello?"

"Oh, hello." Annette's voice instantly softened when she heard Lysithea. "Are you okay? You sound groggy."

Lysithea took in a deep breath and rubbed her eyes. "Y-Yeah... You woke me up." Her heart was pounding both from talking to Annette and the embarrassment of having been woken up by her call. "Why are you calling me?"

"Well, you texted me to hang out and I sent you a text hours ago and you never responded. I got a little bit worried. Not too worried, mind you. I was just afraid something happened." 

Lysithea checked the time. It was nearly four in the afternoon. How had she fallen asleep for most of the day? Her cheeks felt warm. Annette was going to think she was such a child for wasting an entire day asleep. "Erm... yeah..." Lysithea said a little tersely. "I fell asleep after sending it."

"Aw, well you must've been tired. Long day yesterday?"

Lysithea bit her lip and closed her eyes for just a moment. Why did Annette seem so understanding? She didn't think Lysithea was lesser for being tired all the time. She just asked if she'd had a long day. It felt normal to be asked that. She didn't emphasize that Lysithea couldn't do things like other people could. She just had a long day. That could tire anyone out. 

She rolled onto her side and pressed the phone tighter to her ear. "Yeah, I went to work yesterday. I came home and felt alright but I haven't had a full day's work in a while. My body must've not been used to it."

"Sometimes it's nice to get out of the house," Annette said kindly. "I know you've been feeling pretty cooped up with your period and all."

 _So normal. So normal. So normal._ Lysithea nearly had tears in her eyes. She wanted to see Annette. "Um, Annette, can you come over?"

Annette laughed. "Of course. I'm actually at the grocery store right now. I'm picking up some things to make dinner since you probably haven't been out shopping yet. I thought it might be fun to cook together. I wanted to call you before just barging in since we hadn't set a time."

Lysithea could barely contain herself. "What did you plan on making?"

"Well, you seemed really fond of Mercie's spaghetti so I was going to make that for you!"

"That was really good. Um, I'll... see you soon then."

"Yeah, I'll be over in just a little bit."

"Alright... Um... bye then."

"Bye, Lysithea. See you soon."

Annette ended the call first because Lysithea certainly wasn't going to. She clutched her phone tightly to herself. Is this what having a relationship with Annette would be like? So simple and domestic? Her girlfriend coming home with dinner and acting like Lysithea having a bad day was completely normal. It was normal, at least to her. Having someone to just... exist with. It would be amazing.

Lysithea sat on her couch and relaxed against the cushions. She had just finished showering thoroughly. She hadn't smelled or anything but she felt gross after sleeping in so late. The gross feeling didn't wash away completely, but she at least felt better after putting on fresh clothes. She didn't have much time to worry about it either. Annette would be there any second.

As if Annette had heard her thoughts, there was a knock on the door. Annette let herself in as usual and quickly made her way to the kitchen, carrying heavy-looking grocery bags. She only tossed a casual hello over her shoulder as she passed by. Lysithea heard her set everything down and then she quickly went back to the front door to take off her shoes and coat. Once she was settled, she fell onto the couch next to Lysithea.

"Hello," Lysithea greeted.

Annette reached over and brushed a lock of hair out of Lysithea's face. Lysithea's heart rate picked up. "Hello. How are you doing?"

Lysithea could already feel her body heating up from being so close to Annette. Even though she had accepted these feelings, she wasn't used to them. They were a little tedious as well. She hoped that, eventually, they would die down a little. If they didn't, Lysithea wasn't sure she'd be able to cope. "I'm feeling better," she said simply. "I showered."

Annette's kind smile nearly melted Lysithea. "You smell pleasant." She leaned in a bit closer to Lysithea and laid her head on Lysithea's shoulder.

Lysithea nodded, trying not to shiver. "Th-Thank you." Lysithea fiddled with the blanket across her lap. "Um, Annette..."

"Yeah?"

"It's been a while since I've..." Lysithea trailed off.

God, she really couldn't remember the last time she'd kissed anyone. The last time she'd even had these thoughts about anyone. Probably not since high school when her prognosis had become much bleaker. When life wasn't going to be as full as it promised to be for everyone else, she had given up on the thought of love. How could she drag anyone into her mess? Now she was, but to be fair Annette had dragged her in first.

Annette ruffled Lysithea's hair. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Lysithea blushed. She knew Annette didn't know what she was insinuating but that response did not ease her. "Uh, yeah..?"

"Cooking is totally easy. And Mercie's recipe is so easy to follow. An infant could make this spaghetti!"

Lysithea let out a slow breath. She chuckled. "Yeah."

Annette helped Lysithea up off the couch and they went into the kitchen. She hadn't been lying when she said the recipe could've been followed by an infant. It was perfectly laid out in excruciating detail to be recreated by even the worst of chefs, of which Lysithea and Annette were. Lysithea mostly stood on the sidelines, watching Annette flit about the kitchen singing to herself. Lysithea didn't recognize the song but she didn't care much. Annette's voice was angelic either way. She leaned against the wall and listened as the song spun around her head. 

Dinner was delicious, as Lysithea had guessed it would be. They spent the rest of the evening cuddling on the couch as they had before. Lysithea was wide awake this time, however. The curve of Annette's chest cupped her head and she was having trouble controlling her breathing. Where had she put her hands last time? Everywhere felt awkward. She wanted to bring one close to her face but then she'd be touching Annette's breast. Granted it was over her shirt, but still. She certainly hadn't gotten so... excited last time. Anytime she shifted her legs she could feel how damp her underwear had become. Who knew her body could still do something like that? 

Annette didn't seem to be acting any differently. Her hand was lazily rubbing circles on Lysithea's back as she watched the show they had put on. It was an anime that Lysithea hadn't heard of, but she was enjoying it well enough when she found the brainpower to focus on it. Annette seemed to be really enjoying herself as well and was completely comfortable underneath Lysithea like this was normal for them. Maybe it could be. Lysithea buried her face into Annette's chest and closed her eyes thinking about it. She felt Annette's breathing hitch just a little bit.

After watching a handful of episodes, Lysithea pulled herself up off of the couch. She was a little stiff but not in too much pain to not be able to walk to her bedroom herself. She shook her limbs out a bit to clear some of the static that had come to reside in them, then turned to Annette who had settled herself on the couch.

"Good night," Annette said with a smile as she brought the blanket up around herself.

Lysithea bit her lip. "Actually... could you... could you come to my room with me?"

Annette looked surprised but sat up almost instantly. "Sure."

They walked into Lysithea's room, Annette gently helping guide Lysithea just because she could. Annette helped Lysithea sit down then pulled away. She tilted her head to the side as Lysithea looked over at her expectantly. Lysithea was barely holding herself together. What if Annette said no? No, she couldn't think about that. She just had to do it.

"Can you... kiss me goodnight?" The words left Lysithea's mouth before she could stop them. She wasn't even sure she'd thought them, they had just come out. She looked at the ground quickly, her face heating up.

Annette's eyebrows shot up and her mouth dropped open a bit. "Lysithea, I..."

Lysithea shook her head. "If you don't want to, you don't have to explain. Just say yes or no."

Annette bent over a bit. In one of the most gentle caresses Lysithea had ever received in her life, Annette cupped the side of her face and tilted it up towards her own. "Of course," she whispered.

Slowly, she leaned in and pressed her lips to Lysithea's. Their kiss was tender, Annette clearly testing the waters before diving in. It sent a shock through Lysithea. She couldn't remember feeling anything like this ever in her life. It nearly undid her at the seams. She wanted to fall apart in Annette's arms. What that meant, she wasn't sure. She almost felt like crying.

Lysithea was the one to deepen their kiss, pulling on Annette's hair gently and slipping her tongue into Annette's mouth. The soft sound of surprise from Annette made Lysithea's heart leap. Was one soft noise so much to set her off? Their kiss was sloppy and uncoordinated. Neither of them was experienced in this, Lysithea guessed. They were both just working through it, trying to find a rhythm with one another.

Finally, Annette matched her pace and they kissed for a long time. It was like the moment was frozen in time. Lysithea never wanted it to end. Annette pulled away first and the look on her face sent a shiver through Lysithea's body. It was so tender and pure, and at the same time held a depth of lust and yearning that Lysithea didn't know Annette had. She'd always figured Annette was kind and pure; Annette didn't think those thoughts. Of course, that was silly. Annette was only human after all.

Annette leaned in close to Lysithea's ear. "W-Would you, um... like m-more?" She sounded unsure. It was clearly a foreign question and she probably felt as though she hadn't asked it right.

Lysithea was fairly certain their experience in this field was pretty even. Maybe Annette had had sex once before whereas Lysithea had never had it. But that wasn't exactly miles of experience or anything and Lysithea wasn't even sure that was true. Neither of them really knew what the next step should be. Lysithea wasn't even sure how long she could last.

"I-I... I think I... I think I do..." Lysithea murmured.

She pulled on Annette's shirt, guiding it up the other girl's back. Annette pulled away and pulled her shirt off without hesitation. She was wearing a light blue bra with tiny bows that Lysithea thought was incredibly cute. Lysithea only got a moment to admire her before Annette gingerly laid her back on the bed.

Lysithea took charge when Annette laid in bed beside her. One of them had to or nothing would happen. Annette seemed to be taking it slow, her breath ragged and heavy. Lysithea wasn't fairing any better but she was able to reach her shaking hands up to Annette's breasts and grab them. Her thumbs found Annette's nipples through the fabric easily and slowly she teased them, pulling small moans and gasps out of Annette. She bit her lip. This felt amazing. Touching another woman... She wanted it so badly. She leaned her face into Annette's neck and began to plant kisses all over her skin while her hands continued to tease and toy with Annette's breasts.

It went on for a while until both of them were topless. Annette had taken over and eased Lysithea out of her bra. Lysithea took in a sharp breath. Nobody had ever seen her like this, aroused and red in the face. She wondered if Annette thought she was cute like this. If she wanted to see this more and more. Annette dipped down and started to plant tender kisses over Lysithea's chest. Lysithea squirmed underneath her.

Lysithea was already starting to get a bit tired, her breathing heavy and exhausted. She could feel her body already starting to get heavier and her movements becoming sluggish. She let out a particularly ragged breath containing a slight wheeze in it.

Annette looked up, pausing immediately at the new sound. "Are you okay?"

Lysithea nodded. "I'm really worked up," she said. Even her voice sounded winded and wheezy. "I'm not in pain, well, unusual pain that is. I just don't think my lungs are used to breathing like this."

The smile on Annette's face was full of pity and Lysithea winced. "We should probably stop then."

Lysithea clenched her jaw as her heart sank. This was a mistake, wasn't it? Was she stupid to think that her relationship with Annette would be anything close to normal? Annette probably just wanted someone to take care of. Someone who needed her to survive. Everyone always felt good when they were taking care of Lysithea. It was like charity. Take care of the girl who can't take care of herself and you'll get some brownie points. 

"That's not your decision to make," Lysithea said bitterly. "I think I know my body better than you do."

Annette shrunk back from the venom in Lysithea's tone. "I just want to make sure you're okay..."

Lysithea felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes. She quickly wiped at them. "You don't understand."

"Lysithea, I'm sorry... Can we talk about it?"

Lysithea sniffled and pushed with very little force against Annette. Annette rolled off of her easily and then pulled the blanket over to her to cover her up. Lysithea wiped at her eyes again.

"I'm... not mad at you," Lysithea ground out. "I just... fuck." She didn't know what else to say. She'd never felt like this. Even though she knew Annette was right, she couldn't help but feel upset.

Annette touched Lysithea's shoulder gently. "It's alright, sweetie." Slowly, she approached Lysithea again and got under the blanket with her. She wrapped her arm around Lysithea's waist and rested her head against her shoulder. "Can you tell me what's on your mind?"

Lysithea let out a long, deep breath. "Annette, I'm dying. And I know we're all dying or whatever, but I'll die sooner than most. I don't want you to... get too attached, I guess. I don't have an estimate of when. It could be tomorrow for all I know. It'll happen and I'll leave you here by yourself and I don't want to hurt you."

Annette looked a little stunned as she took in that information. She was quiet for a long moment. Lysithea let it sink in as well. It'd been a while since she'd said that out loud. Things couldn't last forever and Lysithea's forever was even shorter.

"So... I can't enjoy us now because you don't want to hurt me?" Annette asked finally.

Lysithea looked over at her. "What?"

"You said yourself that not everyone knows what it's like to be truly selfish. Lysithea, I... being with you... I want to indulge in that selfishness. I've liked you for so long." She laughed a bit. "Ever since high school. I competed with you because it was the only way you would notice me. And when we reconnected, I was so happy and you still blew me off. I told myself that that was okay. And then we got even closer..." Annette grabbed Lysithea's hand and started to play with her fingers. "You might not want to hurt me but that's my decision to make. Clearly, I can't force you into a relationship you don't want to be in. Even if you wanted to be in a relationship with me and said no, I would respect that. But don't you dare push me away because you don't want to hurt me. I get to choose whether or not I'm going to be hurt by you."

Lysithea scratched her head with the hand that Annette wasn't holding. "Wow, I um... I didn't know... I guess while we're confessing... I've always found you very attractive. And I always thought you didn't like me because you were always trying to outdo me in school. I thought we were rivals."

Annette giggled. "Well, I guess we were in a sense. You would think like that, wouldn't you?"

Lysithea couldn't help but sigh. "Yeah... I'm like that..." She tilted Annette's face toward her. "So, we need to talk about us then..."

"Oh, yeah?" Annette raised an eyebrow.

"I want us to be normal. You can't say we should stop because I made one weird noise. I'm exhausted right now and I hurt everywhere but you don't get to make the decision of whether I'm done or not. I want things to be like I'm not... like this. I can manage my own limitations. Earlier you made me feel like I could be in a normal relationship. You asked me if I had a long day yesterday in response to me sleeping all day. You didn't ask if I was in pain or if it was because of everything. You just asked me if I had a long day."

"Lysithea..." Gently Annette reached out and touched Lysithea's cheek. Lysithea couldn't help but lean into her warmth. "I never want you to feel like you have limitations. I'm sorry... I thought you might push yourself tonight because you thought you had to. That's why I said that. I don't think you need to stop. I just don't want you to hurt yourself. And I... um... I'm nervous too. It was a little fast for me."

Lysithea let out a nervous laugh. "That makes me feel better. I was practically on the edge of my seat. I don't know how to do any of this."

Annette laughed along with her. "Me neither. I've never... done it before."

"You haven't?"

Annette shook her head. "I don't know if you remember, but I had that boyfriend back in high school."

"Oh, I remember." 

Annette winced. "Yeah... I almost got there with him but he ended up breaking up with me before we ever did." She shrugged. "I guess that's for the best, but I did feel like I'd messed up."

"Well, we can navigate our firsts together then."

Annette hugged Lysithea tight, pushing her back against the bed. She buried her face in Lysithea's neck and Lysithea could feel Annette press her lips against her skin for a few more delicate kisses. She ran her hand through Annette's hair. It was over for tonight but Lysithea knew that it wouldn't be forever.

Morning broke over the two. They were still half-naked in Lysithea's bed. Annette was curled up in Lysithea's side. Lysithea let out a soft grunt. She hurt. And some things hurt that didn't usually. Her lips were a bit tender for starters, their kisses having cracked them a bit. Her breasts hurt, her nipples sensitive to the touch with a little bit of bruising in some spots. Her arm was completely numb from where Annette must've laid on it for some time. She sighed. She couldn't even imagine how she'd be feeling if they'd gone through with it. She was sure that everything between her legs would not be happy.

Annette stirred beside her, letting out a large yawn and stretching. She nuzzled into Lysithea's neck and kissed her. Lysithea swallowed hard. The fluttery feeling clearly wasn't going away any time soon.

"Good morning," Annette murmured. "How are you feeling?"

"My boobs hurt," Lysithea muttered. 

Annette laughed. "Yeah, that can happen if they're teased a little roughly. My apologies. Mine are a bit tender too." She looked Lysithea over and pointed out the hickeys she'd left on her skin. "I did some good work, huh?"

Lysithea blushed and brought her arms up to cover her chest. "Stop that! I... er..."

Annette smiled gently at her. "I can cover them up with makeup if you'd like. Maybe you don't want Hilda to know what you've been up to. That could be a bit annoying."

Lysithea groaned. She hadn't even thought of what Hilda would say. She'd have to tell her eventually if she wanted to go out into public with Annette. "Yeah... She's... a lot."

"She'll be happy to hear we finally got together though I think. She's been placing bets with Marianne."

"What?!"

Annette gave a knowing smirk. "Oh yeah. I've heard her in the coffee shop when you're not there. She said it was only a matter of time until we did something. Marianne said two more weeks. Hilda placed bets on a month. I guess Marianne wins."

"I'll kill them with my own two hands."

Annette pinned Lysithea back against the bed with a wide smile. "We can forget about them for now, I think. What about us?"

Lysithea swallowed hard. Annette was beautiful with her messed up hair and bright eyes like she always had in the morning. Lysithea could get used to waking up to those every day. "We'll just take it slow and see where the days lead us."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Annette leaned in and gave Lysithea a long kiss.


End file.
